Senate Committee recommends bill to raise minimum wage to $12 an hour

CARSON CITY — With no discussion, the Senate Commerce, Labor and Energy Committee voted on Monday to recommend passage of the bill increasing Nevada's minimum wage to $12 an hour.

Senate Bill 106 would spread the increase over a five year period, adding 75-cents each year until the minimum wage is $12 for businesses that don't offer health insurance, $11 an hour for those employers that do offer insurance.

At present, the minimum wage is $7.25 hourly for employers offering insurance and $8.25 for those that don't. Those rates are set according to the formula approved by voters and tied to the cost of living index.

Opponents including the Reno and Las Vegas chambers of commerce have argued arbitrary increases in the minimum wage will cost jobs. Some businessmen say they simply can't afford to pay more than $7.25 an hour.

There was testimony that the bill would have no effect on state or local government since public employees are already paid more than that. The charter school authority, however, indicated the measure would cost independent charter schools about $100,000 a year.